Daily Readings
Prayers - Why 108 Part 1
The sacred 108 Part 1
Why do the ancient scriptures, religions and traditions of the East like Hinduism, Buddhism, say 108 as sacred? Is 108 a very important number in Vedantic chantings because the great scholars knew something that we don’t?
The individual numbers 1, 0, and 8 represent one thing, nothing, and everything (infinity). 108 represents the ultimate reality of the universe as being (seemingly paradoxically) simultaneously One, emptiness, and infinite.
The Rosary beads known as the Japa Mala has beads for 108 repetitions of a mantra (Japa), usually called Naam Japa done during religious ceremonies.There are Ashtothras with 108 names of the respective deity. Like, Lakshmi Ashtotra. Let us explore this even though we can never have an absolute view of anything but only a general view.
Scientific significance:
Volume expansion of freezing water is roughly 108%. 108 degrees Fahrenheit is also the internal temperature at which the human body's vital organs begin to fail from overheating. The moon is 108 moon diameters away from the earth the sun 108 moon diameters from earth. In other words, the distance of Sun from Earth divided by diameter of Sun and distance of Moon from Earth divided by diameter of Moon is approximately equal to 108.
Historic significance:
The pre-historic monument Stonehenge is about 108 feet in diameter.
Religious significance:
Hinduism: The Indian Subcontinent rosary or set of mantra counting has 108 beads. 108 has been a sacred number in the Indian Subcontinent for a very long time. This number is explained in many different ways.
In a book by Khurana, the explanation closely mirrors the original Vedic justifications: A circle has 360 degrees, which when multiplied by 60 gives us 21,600 minutes in a circle. 60 comes from the 60 'ghatis' which Sanatana Dharmiks believe in. One ghati is equal to 24 minutes and 60 ghatis come to 24 hours. One ghati is divided into 60 parts or 'palas'. So the 60 ghatis multiplied by 60 palasa comes to 3,600. This is further multiplied by 60 (becase a pala contains 60 vipalas) which gives us 21,600. Half of this is for the day, and the other half for the night. So, 21,600 divided by 2 gives us 10,800. For practical purposes, we use 108. Using the number 108 helps us coordinate the rhythm of time and space & we remain in harmony with the spiritual powers of nature.
Mantra and Tantra significance:
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersection has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti qualities. 54 x 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the guiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.